The Casio EX-V7 is one of the those cameras that works better on paper than it does 'in the flesh'. The combination of ultra-compact design, 7x zoom, mechanical stabilization and rich feature set is an alluring one, and one that makes the EX-V7 one of the most powerful 'pocket cameras' we've seen to date - a real case of 'having your cake a eating it'. The reality is that the EX-V7 is a disappointing camera, and one that fails to deliver on its promise, even allowing for the compromises inevitably involved in squeezing this much stuff into such a small body.